Some of the identified factors (such as TSPAN8, CXCL17, CRIP2, STARD10, CSNK2A1) and pathways (i.e. apoptosis, TGFβ, VEGF and ERK signaling) are known to participate in cancer as well as their identification here linked with airway remodeling in mustard lung. Here, CXCL17 is linked to cancer.